Rep. Dan Goughnour is pictured during an open house at his district office earlier this year.

Bar owners in Pennsylvania are one step closer to being able to serve premixed cocktails on tap.

The state House of Representatives recently passed legislation (House Bill 1702) sponsored by Rep. Dan Goughnour, D-Allegheny, that would modernize state liquor laws by allowing businesses with liquor licenses to have premixed cocktails on tap, just like beer.

The bill attracted three Republican co-sponsors – Rep. Craig Williams, Rep. Mindy Fee and Rep. Valeria Gaydos – and passed the house by a 150-53 margin. Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, was among the House members who voted against the bill. Goughnour’s bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

Current law prevents licensees from storing premixed cocktails, such as margaritas and mojitos, for more than 24 hours, a requirement that was put in place for health and safety reasons. New products allow the ingredients to be safely stored in kegs, Goughnour said, which would allow bars to put them on tap after adding the alcohol.

House Bill 1702 would define the new products in law and make them available for Pennsylvania liquor licensees. They are unavailable in the state now because they would need to be disposed of in 24 hours, despite their longer and safer shelf life.

“These are popular new products, and they will make life easier on businesses with liquor licenses,” Goughnour said. “It’s important that we update our liquor laws when we can so that any business–from our local taverns to our world-class sports and concert venues–can stay competitive.”

Goughnour said the benefits of his legislation include a uniform amount of alcohol in each drink and a higher level of sanitation than drinks poured by hand. The bill would also make it easier for licensees to train new employees to pour drinks.

Thirty-six other states, including all states that border Pennsylvania apart from Delaware, currently permit premixed cocktail kegs. Among states that allow mixed drinks on tap are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and District of Columbia.

“There are many benefits of this innovation,” Goughenour said during a Liquor Control Committee meeting earlier this year. “There’s a uniform amount of alcohol in each drink. There’s a higher level of sanitation than pouring drinks by hand and it makes life easier on businesses. Currently 36 other states allow these drinks and Pennsylvania licenses should be able to join the list.”